Lucas shines in Dior - but was it an itchy mistake?

Daisy Dumas

Dior Sydney shop opening

Dior Sydney shop opening

Where Parisian design houses tread, a well-heeled set is sure to follow - and Thursday night's opening of the new Christian Dior shop in Sydney was no exception.

The four-storey, 12-room Castlereagh Street store, kept under wraps until the very last possible moment, opened its doors to models, local glitterati and the industry's who's who to show off its Raf Simons creations and couture one-offs.

Tina Arena, Lara Bingle and Nicole Pollard joined a number of gamine clothes horses to waft around the labels mecca and pose alongside gold-chained handbags, four-figure-sum shoes and the global Dior CEO, Sidney Toledano.

Who wore it best? .. Isabel Lucas, in Dior, and the same look on the runway.

Australian actress Isabel Lucas chose the evening to give one of Dior's Spring/summer 2013 runway looks a spin - with mixed reactions.

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Looking as natural and as serene as ever, the 28-year-old was gift-wrapped in the hazy, light-reflecting striped dress - hailed as avant garde and fresh when it hit the runway last year.

The Huffington Post, however, remarked that the look failed to translate from the catwalk to real life, "the layered creation in front of a few paparazzi flashbulbs ... was a whole other story".

"Something about the dress on Lucas, with her long hair and tan Aussie skin, just didn't feel right... literally. That material seems so itchy, right?"

The Daily Mail's criticisms were less reserved, panning the look. "[Lucas'] attempt to wear a confection from the French fashion house's Spring 2013 collection fell short as it swamped her petite frame and appeared in need of some steaming," the newspaper reported.

It went on to say that the dress "merely swallowed Isabel, laying flatly against her frame".

Itchy it may be - but comfort and high fashion have never been known to be the easiest of bedmates.

66 comments

Given her penchant for swimming with dolphins and whales I wonder if she asked if everything Dior creates is made ethically and sustainably

Commenter

Franky

Location

Sydney

Date and time

February 01, 2013, 12:03PM

I'm guessing that her ethics don't extend to the Rights of Cinema Patrons... since she appeared in both a Michael Bay movie AND the Red Dawn remake.

Commenter

Captain Hindsight

Date and time

February 01, 2013, 1:02PM

Of course she asked about ethical and sustainable issues. When the answer was you'll be paid an obscene amount of money to wear this, she replied, simply, "thank you".

Commenter

JZCarr

Location

Sydney

Date and time

February 01, 2013, 4:40PM

What gender is the skeletor on the rightIsabel Lucas (bimbo) looks seriously silly in that dress if thats what it is

Commenter

Jill

Date and time

February 01, 2013, 12:20PM

Haha, I never thought Dior would be coupled with He-Man Masters of the Universe. Interesting connection Jill :)

Commenter

SamSam

Date and time

February 01, 2013, 12:41PM

Thanks Chief I try

Commenter

Jill

Date and time

February 01, 2013, 1:03PM

Oh Jill :(

That kind of insulting language would not be appropriate if you were talking about an overweight person. It is equally inappropriate when talking about someone slender.

Lead by example: less body-judgement by women about women, please!

In the meantime, yes, that dress is totally whack.

Commenter

Donna Joy

Date and time

February 01, 2013, 1:09PM

@Donna Joy

Another thoughtful, intelligent comment from a regular Fairfax correspondent. It gives me hope to go on :)

Commenter

Ash fash

Location

The observatory, Brisbane

Date and time

February 01, 2013, 2:49PM

Donna Joy don't be such a killjoy have a sense of humour or are you one of this new breed who can't wait to be offended so that you can whip out your soapbox and have a good old rant about how everyone should be PC like you

No thanks

besides that she IS a bloody skeletor why don't you have a rant at the agency that hires her

Commenter

Jill

Date and time

February 01, 2013, 3:08PM

@ Jill

Haha! No, I am certainly not a new breed. Haven’t been for about 30 years now ;)

However, if espousing the opinion that women should not be judged on what they look like makes me a killjoy, then so be it. I have personally never found too much sport in being nasty about other people. But hey, each to their own…